Abstract
Alternative processes have been proposed for selective separation of fluorite and gangue minerals (carbonates and silicates) present in fluorspar ores. Calcination and gravity separation processes are methods that have low efficiency and high cost. Flotation is a chemical process that becomes important when high ore grades are required; however, the selectivity is inhibited by the superficial similarity of the chemical composition of minerals. Accordingly, interactions between dissolved ionic species of fluorite, carbonates, and silicates with some reagents under determinate conditions obstruct the flotation process. In order to optimize the flotation process of a Spanish fluorite ore, this research uses a mathematical model. In this study, the variables were the dose of potato starch, quebracho tree, white dextrine, oleic acid, and sodium silicate. On the other hand, the factors studied were the law of carbonates, silica, and fluorite, in addition to the metallurgical recovery of fluorite. The statistical technique of factor analysis that relates the variables and factors allowed to the optimization of the reagent dosage. Maximum metallurgical recovery was achieved without sacrificing the fluorite grade. The mathematical model adjusts satisfactorily to the results with a correlation coefficient of 91.58% for metallurgical recovery and 98.51% for fluorite grade. Optimizing the process 60.45% of metallurgical recovery and 68.99% of fluorite grade are achieve in the roughing step, using a dosage of 1.68 g·kg−1 of potato starch, 0.86 g·kg−1 of quebracho tree, 1.25 g·kg−1 of dextrin, 3 g·kg−1 of oleic acid, and 0.85 g·kg−1 of water glass.
Highlights
Fluorite ores are attracting attention due to the wide range of novel applications that this mineral possesses [1,2,3,4]
All the chemical reagents used were of analytical grade: sodium silicate (NaSiO2 ) of 99% purity supplied by PA-Panreac; quebracho tree of 99% purity supplied by PA-Panreac; potato starch of 99%
Purity supplied by PA-Panreac; white dextrin of 99% purity supplied by PA-Panreac; calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) of 99% purity supplied by PA-Panreac; oleic acid of 99% purity supplied by PA-Panreac
Summary
Fluorite ores are attracting attention due to the wide range of novel applications that this mineral possesses [1,2,3,4]. When slime coatings are present in the flotation process, dispersants as sodium silicate have an important role upgrading the depressant action [16] Fatty acids and their soaps are often used as collectors in flotation for non-sulfide ores such as bauxite, hematite, apatite, scheelite, and fluorite. Only [24] used a mathematical modeling to study some physical and chemical variables in fluorite flotation process They used a central composite design (CCD) to achieve an optimal temperature, time of flotation and collector dosage. The experimental design must be carefully considered, which can identify the key variables and their optimum value intervals with as fewer experiments [25] To solve this problem, DoE methodology is applied in this paper to fluorite froth flotation processes under slime coating.
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